Policy on PE
Physical Education (PE) Policy
Aims and objectives
PE develops the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding, so that they can perform with increasing competence and confidence in a range of physical activities. These include dance, games, gymnastics, swimming and water safety, athletics and outdoor adventure activities. PE promotes an understanding in children of their bodies in action. It involves thinking, selecting and applying skills, and it promotes positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle. Thus, we enable the children to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives.
Our objectives in the teaching of PE are:
- to enable children to develop and explore physical skills with increasing control and coordination;
- to encourage children to work and play with others in a range of group situations;
- to develop the way in which children perform skills, and apply rules and conventions, for different activities;
- to show children how to improve the quality and control of their performance;
- to teach children to recognise and describe how their bodies feel during exercise;
- to develop the children’s enjoyment of physical activity through creativity and imagination;
- to develop an understanding in children of how to succeed in a range of physical activities, and how to evaluate their own success;
Teaching and learning.
We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in PE lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding, and we do this through a mixture of whole-class teaching. Teachers draw attention to good examples of individual performance as models for other children, and we encourage the children to evaluate their own work as well as the work of other children. Within lessons, we give the children the opportunity both to collaborate and to compete with each other, and they have the opportunity to use a wide range of resources.
In all classes, children have a wide range of physical ability. Whilst recognising this fact, we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child.
PE curriculum planning & Inclusion
PE is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum. Our school uses the ‘Play to Learn’ scheme and PESS Modules 1 in the Foundation Phase and follows the PESS Modules 2 scheme of work in KS 2 as the basis for its curriculum planning. We have adapted the schemes to the requirements of the school. In Key Stage 2, we teach compulsory dance, games and gymnastics, plus two other activities: swimming and water safety, and athletics.
The curriculum planning in PE is carried out in three phases (long-term, medium-term and short-term). The long-term plan maps out the PE activities covered in each term during the key stage.
We use the named schemes as the basis for our medium-term plans. This gives details of each unit of work for each term. These plans define what we teach, and ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. The subject leader discusses these plans with the class teachers on a regular basis.
We plan the PE activities so that they build upon the prior learning of the children. While there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in each activity area, there is progression planned into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.
PE and ICT
Information and communication technology enhances the teaching of PE, where appropriate, in all key stages. In dance and gymnastics, children can make video recordings of their performance, and use them to develop their movements and actions. Older children compare each other’s performances from recordings, and use these to improve the quality of their own work. A digital camera can record experiences during outdoor activities.
PE and inclusion
We teach PE to all children, whatever their ability or individual needs. PE forms part of the school curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. Through our PE teaching, we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make good progress. We strive hard to meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs, those with disabilitiesand we take all reasonable steps to achieve this.
Assessment.
Teachers assess children’s work in PE by making assessments as they observe them working during lessons. Older pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work and to suggest ways in which to improve.
Resources
There is a wide range of resources to support the teaching of PE across the school. We keep most of our small equipment in the school hall, and this is accessible to children only under adult supervision. The hall contains a range of large apparatus, and we expect the children to help to set up and put away this equipment as part of their work. By so doing, the children learn to handle equipment safely.
Health and safety
It is the general teaching requirement for health and safety that applies to this subject. We encourage the children to consider their own safety and the safety of others at all times. We expect them to change for PE into a White round neck T-shirt, Black shorts and Plimsolls (Daps). The school expects the teachers to set a good example by wearing appropriate clothing when teaching PE. The policy of the school is that no jewellery is to be worn for any physical activity.Girls and boys are given separate changing areas from the age of eight.
The quality of teaching and learning in PE is monitored and evaluated by the subject leader as part of the school’s agreed cycle of lesson observations.
This policy will be reviewed every two years.